We are getting closer and closer to fulfilling the dream of using alternatives associated with lower levels of emissions instead of other energy sources for different purposes. One of them is green hydrogen. How is it produced? Because right now? Or what is its importance? These are some of the questions that we all ask ourselves, which we will try to answer in the following lines.
Green Hydrogen: How It Is Produced
Those who know what green hydrogen is known that it is produced through the electrolysis of water. Based on the contribution of renewables such as solar and wind, alternative fuel with great potential is safer and cheaper.
The Green Hydrogen Moment
Many clean energy advocates wanted to make green hydrogen more affordable a reality. One of the main challenges associated with using this form of energy was the high price, and its cost was not competitive, especially compared to conventional energy sources.
However, reducing carbon emissions has served as a motivator to drive new innovative projects in this field. Also, at this crucial moment:
- The maturation of electrolysis technology has caused a drop in the prices of electrolyzers.
- Volatility in the price of electricity has increased, affecting the rate of both renewable and traditional electricity.
Nowadays, we usually find that energy is cheaper or in certain seasons. So if you combine a solar photovoltaic installation or a wind turbine with an electrolyzer, you can sell electricity to the market when prices are high and power the electrolyzer to produce hydrogen when prices are low.
In this way, the production of green hydrogen would modulate energy costs by the way it is produced. This is how Stefan Reichelstein defends it in a recent interview for Stanford’s online magazine.
Is It Feasible To Sell Electricity Or Produce Hydrogen In Real-Time?
This question asked by the researcher and his team makes us reflect on the possibility of finding a way to scale investments optimally, based on discovering the balance point of capacity and finding a way to use it efficiently in time. Real.
They propose the execution of the models for an installation for the conversion of energy to gas combined with wind energy in the favourable market environments, which are none other than those that present high volatility in the price of energy and a sector of well developed renewable energy.
Based on current cost and price data, research shows that vertically integrated systems in good locations can fetch a price that is already close to the price of hydrogen produced on an industrial scale through steam reforming.
Multiple types of businesses could benefit from these energy systems, although the price remains a concern for now.
Reichelstein is confident that the gas power systems examined in his model will be broadly competitive for large-scale hydrogen production in the short term – three to five years. But it warns of the effects of the regulatory environment on the viability of this type of project.
For example, concerning the possibility of using green hydrogen for transport, there is still reluctance for safety reasons, more than in terms of price.
In any case, it is worth further research since the applications of this energy go far beyond the mere replacement of fossil fuels by green hydrogen, as it is produced and used today. Just imagine the possibility of converting hydrogen into energy at certain times of the day when it is scarce.
Although, today, it is expensive and complicated to opt for green hydrogen, moving towards a model that limits or minimizes CO2 emissions is necessary. Climate change is crucial, and alternatives to traditional media are needed.
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